Death Stranding
(PS4) * (PC) | directors = Hideo Kojima | producers = * Hideo Kojima * Kenichiro Imaizumi | designers = Hideo Kojima | programmers = | writers = * Hideo Kojima * Hitori Nojima | artists = Yoji Shinkawa | composers = Ludvig Forssell | engine = Decima | platforms = * PlayStation 4 * Microsoft Windows | release = * November 8, 2019 (PS4) * Summer 2020 (PC) | genres = Action, strand | modes = Single-player, multiplayer }} Death Stranding is a video game developed by Kojima Productions, and published by for the PlayStation 4 and for Microsoft Windows. It is directed by Hideo Kojima – the first game he and his reformed studio have worked on since the disbandment of Kojima Productions as a Konami subsidiary in July 2015. The game was officially announced during Sony's E3 2016 press conference. It was released on November 8, 2019 for PlayStation 4 and is slated for an early summer 2020 release for Microsoft Windows. Story Characters and cast Death Stranding stars Sam (Norman Reedus), a reputed deliveryman on an expedition across the continental United Cities, following in the footsteps of UCA president-to-be Amelie (Emily O'Brien). He works for an organization named Bridges, headed by Die-Hardman (Tommie Earl Jenkins), which also employs several allies he encounters throughout his journey. These allies include Deadman (Guillermo Del Toro); Heartman (Nicolas Winding Refn), an AED-reliant man whose heart stops every 21 minutes; and Mama (Margaret Qualley), a young woman tethered to her beached infant daughter and confined to a Bridges compound. On his journey west, Sam befriends a young woman named Fragile (Léa Seydoux). Conversely, he is antagonized by Homo Demens figurehead Higgs (Troy Baker) along the way, and finds himself engaged in something of an arch-rivalry with the enigmatic Cliff (Mads Mikkelsen). Synopsis In the near future, mysterious explosions have rocked the planet, setting off a series of supernatural events known as the Death Stranding. With spectral creatures plaguing the landscape, and the planet on the verge of a mass extinction, it's up to Sam to journey across the ravaged wasteland and save mankind from extinction. Gameplay Death Stranding takes place in an open world with a third-person and occasionally first-person perspective. As the Porter Sam, the player is tasked with making their way through the world carrying cargo, while overcoming various environmental obstacles with equipment, dealing with various enemies, and progressing through the main story or undertaking side missions. Predominantly taking place in the continental United States of the future, Death Stranding s vast open world includes biomes such as lush grasslands and forests, cold tundra and snow-covered mountain ranges, and reddish dusty drylands, all of which can be fully explored. Before embarking on deliveries, players can select an amount of cargo to carry, personal protective equipment, traversal equipment, and weapons. Traversal is a core element of the gameplay, demanding topographical route planning and environmental scanning, consideration of carried cargo, and active balancing of Sam as his center of gravity and stability shift. A powered exoskeleton can be worn to enable Sam to carry heavy loads of cargo more easily, or run much faster and jump significantly farther than normal. Heavy loads can be divided between Sam and up to two floating carriers. While in combat, cargo may be dropped to allow for easier movement and picked up again after enemies are dealt with. Additionally, players must manage systems such as health, stamina, cargo integrity, equipment durability and power consumption, and their bridge baby's mental state. Sam can rest in-place and recover lost health and stamina, or soothe his bridge baby and increase his relationship with the infant. Locations in the world such as safe houses, generators, and hot springs function as means of replenishing varying attributes associated with maintaining Sam. Though players have melee combat and firearms at their disposal to deal with enemies, lethal violence against living enemies is not encouraged. Players are able to incapacitate or restrain enemies, or attempt to circumvent them entirely, and may run, jump, crouch walk, or use vehicles to navigate the world. While under threat from enemies, crouch walking may be used to move stealthily and hide in various cover. When the player dies, they aren't presented with a conventional "Game Over", but instead transported to an "upside-down realm" analogous to a "Continue?" prompt, where they can explore and recover lost items. Player-determined changes to the game world – particularly triggered voidouts – are persistent, remaining in the player's game world even after death. Multiplayer The game's asynchronous multiplayer, named the Social Strand System, enables online players across the world to indirectly help one another. Roads, bridges, and safe houses can be built across the Social Strand System, and players may contribute to the construction of such structures. The paths walked by other players across the Social Strand System may be observed and traversed to reach destinations. Well-trodden paths will smooth over in time, allowing for faster travel down them. Helpful structures, vehicles, equipment, and signs of other Sams may be used by players in their travels. Players making use of the helpful aids of other Sams may express their gratitude by giving them likes. A PlayStation Plus subscription is not required to access the Social Strand System's features, and said features are optional. Presentation Hideo Kojima formally revealed Death Stranding at Sony's E3 2016 conference, through a reveal trailer featuring the then-unidentified lead character Sam. At TGA 2016, Kojima Productions revealed a teaser trailer featuring Cliff and Deadman. At TGA 2017, Kojima revealed a second teaser trailer, which provided a more expansive look at the game's unique world and story. In February 2018, it was revealed that Emily O'Brien and Troy Baker had joined the cast of the game. In May, Shawn Layden of Sony Worldwide Studios revealed that Death Stranding would be part of a group of four games (along with Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel's Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part II) which PlayStation would focus on at E3 2018. At E3 2018, an extensive teaser trailer premiering gameplay and incorporating "Asylums for the Feeling" by Silent Poets (feat. Leila Adu) was presented, showing Fragile and Amelie for the first time; it was revealed that Léa Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner would be part of the game's cast. Later that year at TGS 2018, it was revealed that Tommie Earl Jenkins would portray a key character in the game, and that Akio Ōtsuka, Kikuko Inoue, Nana Mizuki and Satoshi Mikami – Metal Gear series veterans – along with Kenjiro Tsuda, had joined the game's Japanese voice cast. In May 2019, the names of several of the game's main characters were revealed in the release date reveal trailer. In July 2019, after previewing it to attendees of the San Diego Comic Con, Kojima released a trailer spotlighting Heartman. For Gamescon 2019, Kojima revealed showcased introducing Deadman and Sam's bridge baby, Mama, and the Ludens Fan. The following month, Kojima announced that production of the Japanese voice over of the game had finished. In September 2019, Kojima announced that he was open to developing a sequel to further solidify the "strand game" as a genre. At TGS 2019, Kojima showcased extensive gameplay in the open world of episode 2 ("Amelie") of the game, as well as an in-depth tour of Sam's private room. On September 24, during PlayStation's State of Play presentation, it was confirmed that along with the premiere of Death Stranding a special limited edition PlayStation 4 Pro bundle would also be released. Development The development of Death Stranding began following Kojima Productions' reformation in December 2015. The game entered full development in 2017. Kojima revealed that in previous games he has worked on, he had to make compromises to bring them to fruition. With Death Stranding, however, he stated that the need for compromise is no longer present, and is confident that the game will be "something completely new that no-one has seen so far", as well as his best creative work yet. Kojima was aware of the belief that he was deliberately proceeding too slowly in the game's development, and revealed that was not the case. Kojima suggested that Death Stranding does not fall solely into one specific gaming genre, but rather is largely a new genre of gaming entirely: a "strand game". Its genre-defying nature has been described in a similar vein to that of Metal Gear: In its infancy, Metal Gear was initially considered to be merely an action game, as the stealth genre was not thought to exist at the time; it would go on to be perceived as something more specific and unique due to its novel stealth elements, ultimately ushering in the stealth genre of video games. Concept All elements of the game, from its story to gameplay, are bound by a unifying idea – that of the "strand", or connection. Kojima believes that humans have constructed "walls" between themselves, and have grown accustomed to isolation. He hopes that in playing Death Stranding, players come to form new bonds with other players around the globe, and that they come to understand the importance of forging new connections with others. According to Kojima, most action games consist of players communicating with the equivalents of "sticks" – swords, guns, punches, kicks and other avenues of physical communication – with the "stick" metaphorically being humanity's first invention. Kojima aims to "tie people together" by utilizing humanity's second invention: the "rope". Despite there being an increased emphasis on "ropes", "sticks" will still be utilized in the game as well, in conjunction with "ropes". Engine After a worldwide tour of video game studios, and with the technical advisement of Mark Cerny, Kojima narrowed down two game engines for Death Stranding, one of which was used to create the game's E3 2016 teaser trailer. Kojima ultimately chose Guerrilla Games' in-house Decima engine after being sent a box containing the engine's source code, which "made him very happy". Additionally, Kojima set up a small satellite studio at Guerrilla Games, in order to work in close liaison with the Dutch studio to improve the engine. Music The official soundtrack of Death Stranding is composed by Ludvig Forssell, who previously worked with Kojima on Metal Gear Solid V. Death Stranding: Timefall is an original album inspired by the game, featuring music created by artists such as , , , and more. The first two trailers for Death Stranding used songs produced by the Icelandic band : "I'll Keep Coming" in the reveal trailer and "Easy Way Out" in the TGA 2016 teaser trailer. In February 2017, a limited edition 12" single containing the aforementioned two songs was published by Mondo Records, in conjunction with Kojima Productions. This was the first piece of merchandise released for Death Stranding. At E3 2018, the revealed teaser trailer used ' "Asylum for the Feeling" as a background song. The official release date trailer would later use the song "Path" by the band . Release Several release windows were given throughout Death Stranding s development. Kojima stated that, "[Death Stranding] will be out before the Olympics", referencing the Tokyo 2020 Games. Additionally, in 2016, he stated that "there is a movie called Akira, and [Death Stranding] will be out before the year in which Akira is set", with that year being 2019. During the TGS 2018 stage panel, Kojima mentioned that the game is still on track to release when planned, which is the year 2019 in which Akira is set. In a podcast with Dan Fogler, Norman Reedus corroborated a 2019 release. In March 2019, Kojima revealed that "Death Stranding is very slightly behind our initial plan, but not behind by much." On May 29, 2019, on a co-branded PlayStation Twitch stream, the release date trailer was shown for the first time. It announced that Death Stranding will be released on November 8, 2019. The game will be offered in Standard, Special, Digital Deluxe, and Collector's editions. On October 28, 2019, a Kojima Productions tweet revealed that Death Stranding would release on Microsoft Windows in early summer of 2020, published by 505 Games. Pre-order bonuses * Death Stranding dynamic PS4 theme * Chibi Ludens PS4 avatar * In-game items*: ** Gold "Sam" sunglasses ** Gold hat ** Gold speed skeleton ** Gold armor plate * Unlocked in-game via story progression. Special Edition * Pre-order bonuses * Steelbook case * Death Stranding: Timefall (original music from the world of Death Stranding) ** Music album digital download ** Behind the scenes making of video * Gold "Ludens Mask" sunglasses* * Unlocked in-game via story progression. Digital Deluxe Edition * Pre-order bonuses * Death Stranding: Timefall (original music from the world of Death Stranding) ** Music album digital download ** Behind the scenes making of video * 10 PSN character avatars * In-game items*: ** Gold power skeleton ** Gold "Ludens Mask" sunglasses ** Gold armor plate (lvl. 2) ** Gold all-terrain skeleton * Unlocked in-game via story progression. Collector's Edition * Pre-order bonuses * Bridges cargo case * Full-sized BB pod * Custom steelbook (including full PS4 game) * Ludens keychain * Death Stranding: Timefall (original music from the world of Death Stranding) ** Music album digital download ** Behind the scenes making of video * 10 PSN character avatars * In-game items*: ** Gold power skeleton ** Gold "Ludens Mask" sunglasses" ** Gold armor plate (lvl. 2) ** Gold all-terrain skeleton * Unlocked in-game via story progression. Limited Edition PlayStation 4 Pro * Pre-order bonuses * 1TB PS4 Pro system with special Death Stranding-inspired design * Translucent, BB pod-inspired DualShock 4 wireless controller * Death Stranding complete avatar set * Death Stranding: Timefall (original music from the world of Death Stranding) ** Music album digital download ** Behind the scenes making of video * In-game items*: ** Gold power skeleton ** Gold "Ludens Mask" sunglasses ** Gold armor plate (lvl. 2) ** Gold all-terrain skeleton * Unlocked in-game via story progression. Reception Prerelease In early 2019, Kojima privately demoed the first two hours of an early version of the game to Guerrilla Games and Metal Gear Solid movie director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. This early showing received much excitement and praise from the viewing parties, with Vogt-Roberts describing the game world as "next-level immaculate". Sam Lake of Remedy Entertainment was also shown the game and stated that it "dares to push the boundaries". In March, The Division 2 director Julian Gerighty was shown the game, and was left thinking it was "mind-blowing" and would be "timeless". In April, Iain Cook of the band CHVRCHES was shown the game by Kojima and was likewise left in awe, stating, "Some of the shit he is doing with the new game is unlike anything I have seen anyone else do." Death Stranding also received notable criticism in its prerelease phase. According to Alanah Pearce, then of IGN, one prolific game developer is said to have tried the game and not liked what they played. David Jaffe, best known for directing the Twisted Metal series and God of War (2005), criticized the game's marketing in a video titled "Death Stranding Marketing: What Are They Thinking?!?". He questioned how well-thought-out the game's marketing plan was, and suggested that "Maybe Kojima's just drank a little bit too much of his own kool-aid and thinks that the kind of cryptic, weird shit that his hardcore fans love... Maybe he's like, 'That's what they love!'", additionally stating that such marketing is rather limited in audience reach. He compared Death Stranding s marketing to that of Gears 5 – a game also being marketed at the time – noting how more accessible Gears 5 came off as being from its marketing, and claimed that Death Stranding would "need word of mouth to save it, because it's fucking weird". Critical response Death Stranding received "generally positive reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. The game received many perfect scores, with reviewers touting it as a masterpiece. Many reviewers praised the story, characters, visual design, and multiplayer. Others criticized the core gameplay loop as being monotonous, tedious, and unable to carry the game's full weight, and the story for being overbearing and backloaded until the game's later stages. Gameplanet s Billy Atman claimed that Death Stranding would "surely be the most divisive game of this generation", and Dan Dawkins of The Guardian predicted that players' relationship with Death Stranding would shift in waves. Giovanni Colantonio of Digital Trends forecast that "some people will hail it as a technical and narrative masterpiece that pushes the medium forward" while others would "simply be bored by the slow, repetitive gameplay" and that both takes were valid. For their character portrayals, the game's cast members received much praise. Chris Carter of Destructoid felt that every cast member, big or small, was essential to the experience and dedicated to their role. S''creen Rant'' s Cody Gravelle thought it was impressive how well the main cast members resonated with and settled the "complex, sometimes ridiculous" narrative of the game while still evoking emotional responses. Reception of the core gameplay loop of delivering cargo over vast distances was mixed. Kat Bailey of USgamer wrote that the delivery loop was Death Stranding s biggest weakness, finding that it was exhausting and "started to feel like filler at a certain point". Tristan Ogilvie of IGN claimed Death Stranding was "a glorified series of fetch quests" and that many of its mechanics were "seemingly designed to cause the friction that slows your progress as much as possible". GameSpot s Kallie Plagge suggested that Death Stranding argued in its story and gameplay that adversity makes things worth doing and life worth living. Likewise, Kotaku s Heather Alexandra described the game as long and grueling, but noted that those qualities were fundamentally important to its identity. The Social Strand System was well-received for its asynchronous cooperative multiplayer features. Codi Spence of Gaming Trend appreciated the sense of community and unification elicited by the system in effect. Game Revolution s Jason Faulkner described it as being "simple in concept, but revolutionary in execution" and believed that it bridged the divide between single-player and multiplayer gaming. Jade King of Trusted Reviews wrote that the Social Strand System enhanced all parts of the game while intertwining perfectly with the game's narrative themes. While praising the Social Strand System for its surface presentation, IGN s Ogilvie highlighted the lessening of boss fights' difficulty and potentially misleading nature of incomplete or poorly placed player objects as shortcomings of the system. Furthermore, Ogilvie criticized the system for its lack of configuration settings. Controversy In late September 2019, Hideo Kojima received backlash for an English tweet wherein he clarified that he uses the "A Hideo Kojima Game" label because of his direct involvement in many crucial aspects of a game's development from beginning to end. The use of "me doing" in his English tweet lead many to criticize him for seemingly taking full credit for the aspects of game development he mentioned. However, his tweet was partially mistranslated from his original Japanese tweet, wherein he uses the word 関わる ("involved") and not "me doing" as is used in his English translated tweet, and states that he would not use the label if his only contribution were a concept, game design, or producing. Gallery Key art Original key art DS key art 02.jpg Key art featuring Sam DS Sam in tar key art.jpg Key art featuring Sam covered in tar, used as the game's steel book cover art DS key art 05.jpg Key art featuring Sam holding the bridge baby DS key art 06.jpg Key art featuring Sam holding the bridge baby DS Cliff key art updated.jpg Key art featuring Cliff DS Deadman key art updated.jpg Key art featuring Deadman DS Fragile key art updated.jpg Key art featuring Fragile DS Amelie key art updated.jpg Key art featuring Amelie DS Die-Hardman key art.jpg Key art featuring Die-Hardman DS Heartman key art.jpg Key art featuring Heartman DS Higgs key art.jpg Key art featuring Higgs DS Mama key art.jpg Key art featuring Mama }} Trailers Death Stranding – E3 2016 Reveal Trailer Death Stranding – TGA 2016 Teaser Trailer Death Stranding – TGA 2017 Teaser Trailer Death Stranding – E3 2018 Teaser Trailer Death Stranding – TGS 2018 Trailer Death Stranding – Release Date Reveal Trailer Death Stranding – Launch Trailer Commercials Death Stranding – The Drop TV Commercial Rick and Morty x Death Stranding AD Notes * Death Stranding has a minimum install size of 55GB on PlayStation 4. * A key theme in the game, as well its namesake concept, is – the phenomenon of cetaceans stranding themselves ashore. The event is more encompassing in Death Stranding than it is in reality, however; several other forms of marine life are seen stranded on the Beach alongside cetaceans, including crustaceans and fish. * Development of Death Stranding was so smooth that Sony Interactive Entertainment stated, "We've never seen a game be made at such a fast pace." * Three Death Stranding Easter eggs can be found in Guerrilla Games' : :# Stranded Necklace – Sam's Q-pid, described in-game as "Six tarnished metal ingots threaded with a plain wire"; :# Stranded Shackles – Sam's cuff links, described in-game as "Shackles made from an unknown, smooth material"; :# Stranded Figure – Amelie's doll, described in-game as "A battered idol of an infant, smelling faintly of decay". * In early October 2016, Kojima took the development team of Death Stranding to visit the Meguro Parasitological Museum, with the purpose of showing his staff members how fundamental parasites are to the ecosystem. References }} External links * Official webpage * PlayStation.com game overview de:Death Stranding es:Death Stranding ru:Death Stranding Category:Meta